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August 25, 2015

Summer Trip Flying EVA Air Business Class on 777 & Hello Kitty Jet, Singapore Airlines Suites & Cathay Pacific First ClassLast summer, I travelled to the Philippines for the 70th birthday celebration of my father. It was a very short visit since I needed to be back home for work. I've always wanted to try EVA Air's Hello Kitty Jet so I booked my flight from Stockholm to Fukuoka using Avianca Lifemiles. From Fukuoka, I flew on a budget carrier to Tokyo, and from Tokyo I flew on Singapore Airlines Suites to Singapore, and then first class to Manila using my Kris Flyer Miles. On my way back to Stockholm, I flew on Cathay Pacific First Class and Finnair Business Class using my AA Advantage Miles. This trip allowed me to test EVA Air Hello Kitty, Singapore Suites and Cathay Pacific First Class all for the first time and I couldn't be more satisfied.

Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge Manila, accessible toilet
I think that Cathay Pacific deciding not to include shower suites in this lounge is pretty understandable as flight time to Hongkong is very short and that guests can always use the shower suites at their lounges in Hongkong when transitting.

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Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge Manila, view of tarmac

CONCLUSION

It was July last year when I heard of the news that Cathay Pacific was one of the five airlines transferring from NAIA Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, together with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, KLM and Delta. I was really happy about it because I knew it would mean a lot of positive changes both for the passengers and Cathay Pacific since Terminal 1 is really old and has been consistently voted as one of the worst airports in the world while Terminal 3 is the newest and most modern. Relocating to Terminal 3 meant that Cathay Pacific had to open a new lounge and that it would incorporate the latest Studioilse design template. And so last May 8, the new Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge opened in Manila making it the second Cathay Pacific lounge to have the famous design after the one in Tokyo Haneda Airport. The design focuses in making the passengers feel like they are in a living room rather than in a lounge and after my visit, I have to say it couldn't be more true. I loved the fact that they had the signature Noodle Bar and that the food I ordered tasted phenomenal. They also serve Filipino breakfast in the morning until 11am and as much as I wanted to enjoy my favorite pinoy meal, I thought I would just order the two most popular items from the menu. I was not able to order anything from The Bar although from the other reviews I've read, it says that guests can enjoy tapas, cocktails, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and that the champagne being served is Piper Heidsieck. The staff were very friendly and helpful, as you would expect from the people of this country. I am just so happy that Cathay Pacific decided to open this new lounge in Manila because it is like no other lounge in the country and that it is something we Filipinos can be proud of (even if it's not wholly Filipino). In case you are departing from NAIA Terminal 3 and have access to this lounge, make sure you don't miss it!

About Me

Arthur Jeciel (aka The Filipino Traveler) is a Filipino travel blogger based in Sweden writing business and first class reviews of some of the world's leading airlines. He also gives tips on the top attractions to visit when exploring different countries.